- \n
- A Placement Year in Audit at Grant Thornton, also in Manchester<\/b>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Whether you\u2019re looking for an internship, placement year or both, here are the key things to consider.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Internships vs. Placements<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Internships<\/b> \u2013 Short-term experiences lasting a few weeks to a few months, usually in summer.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Placement Years<\/b> \u2013 A full year of work experience, between second and final year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some companies offer only one type, while others provide both. I applied to both to keep my options open and secured an internship before my placement began in September.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where to Find Internships and Placements<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had to take a proactive approach. Here\u2019s where I found the best opportunities:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Bright Network<\/b> \u2013 Employer opportunities and career events.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- University Careers Service <\/b>\u2013 Job alerts and application support.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- LinkedIn<\/b> \u2013 Company postings and it\u2019s a great way to connect with recruiters or people already at those firms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Times Top 100 Graduate Employers<\/b> \u2013 Identifies top companies that offer opportunities.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s also worth checking company websites directly, as some don\u2019t list roles on external job boards.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Starting the Application Process<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Apply early –<\/b> I cannot stress this enough. Some firms open their opportunities in the summer like July, for the next year\u2019s intake. However, most applications open between October and February. They may close early if they receive a high volume of applicants. The earlier you apply, the better your chances!\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Keep track of applications <\/b>– I used an Excel spreadsheet to track when I applied, deadlines, progress, and interview dates. There are some online templates available.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Prepare a Strong CV and Practice Online Tests –<\/b> Your CV should be tailored to each role. Highlight relevant skills and achievements, not just responsibilities. Most companies use online tests as the first stage. Check out the University\u2019s Career Service<\/a>. They have a CV template and checker tool, as well as resources to practice for online assessments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Video Interviews and Assessment Centres <\/b>– Video interviews can be unfamiliar at first, as you\u2019re not talking to an assessor. However, they are used by a vast number of companies, so it\u2019s best to get used to them. Assessment centres, often the final stage, include group tasks, case studies, and interviews. Researching company values, recent news, and the role is crucial.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Location, Travel, and Costs<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n
You may need to relocate or commute. These are important to think about:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Commuting<\/b> \u2013 Plan your travel. I commuted by tram, which was convenient compared to driving.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Hybrid vs. Office<\/b>\u2013 If you’re in the office full-time, living nearby may be better. Hybrid roles offer more flexibility.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Considerations for Placement Years<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n
Make sure you check:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Course Requirements<\/b> \u2013 Some courses require a minimum grade or don\u2019t allow resits, so confirm this with your programme director.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Visa Sponsorship<\/b> \u2013 If you need sponsorship, check if the company provides it.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Final Thoughts<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n
You only need one opportunity to make a difference. For me, the best way to learn wasn\u2019t by hearing about others\u2019 experiences\u2014it was through hands-on experience. Also, if you don\u2019t get an offer this time, don\u2019t be discouraged. Think of some of the positives. You\u2019ve gained experience in the application process, may have received feedback, and many graduate schemes follow the same process, so you\u2019ll already be familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Competition is tough, but if you stay persistent and believe in yourself, you\u2019ll get there. Good luck!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Written by Fahim, currently studying BSc Accounting with IPE<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Current BSc Accounting student Fahim talks about his experience finding a placement in his third year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7632,"featured_media":8390,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,143,1,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-careers","category-ambs","category-uncategorised","category-undergraduate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8386"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8504,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8386\/revisions\/8504"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Visa Sponsorship<\/b> \u2013 If you need sponsorship, check if the company provides it.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Hybrid vs. Office<\/b>\u2013 If you’re in the office full-time, living nearby may be better. Hybrid roles offer more flexibility.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Keep track of applications <\/b>– I used an Excel spreadsheet to track when I applied, deadlines, progress, and interview dates. There are some online templates available.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Apply early –<\/b> I cannot stress this enough. Some firms open their opportunities in the summer like July, for the next year\u2019s intake. However, most applications open between October and February. They may close early if they receive a high volume of applicants. The earlier you apply, the better your chances!\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Times Top 100 Graduate Employers<\/b> \u2013 Identifies top companies that offer opportunities.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- LinkedIn<\/b> \u2013 Company postings and it\u2019s a great way to connect with recruiters or people already at those firms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- University Careers Service <\/b>\u2013 Job alerts and application support.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Bright Network<\/b> \u2013 Employer opportunities and career events.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Placement Years<\/b> \u2013 A full year of work experience, between second and final year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Internships<\/b> \u2013 Short-term experiences lasting a few weeks to a few months, usually in summer.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n